Ads for Wahed Invest showing burning banknotes were banned for being offensive, sparking complaints from the public and regulators.
London: So, there was this big fuss over some ads for an Islamic investment platform called Wahed Invest. They had these posters showing US dollar and euro banknotes on fire, and people were not happy about it.
The ads featured a well-known Muslim preacher and a former MMA fighter, both pointing up with flames around them. The slogan was “Join the Money Revolution,” which sounds catchy but didn’t sit well with everyone.
Some posters even had messages like “Withdraw from Exploitation.” The idea was to show how money can lose value when inflation hits, but the visuals were a bit too much for many folks.
The Advertising Standards Authority got 75 complaints saying the ads were offensive. They decided to ban them, saying they could seriously upset people, especially those from the US and eurozone.
Wahed argued that burning money is a common theme in movies and TV, but the ASA wasn’t convinced. They pointed out that many viewers might see their currency as part of their national identity, and burning it could be taken the wrong way.
Wahed launched in the US back in 2019 and is backed by Saudi Aramco. They’ve paused all their campaigns while this whole thing gets sorted out. It’s a wild situation, for sure!
